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Monthly Archives: May 2014

Have you ever heard your friends discussing about an anime you don’t watch in front of you? It’s fine if it’s just for a while, but if they carry on for perhaps an hour, won’t you feel left out?

That’s what happened to me. Two of my friends had been telling me to watch Kuroko no Basket for some time, but I declined since school would be starting in a month at that time and I wanted to refrain from watching too much anime. In addition, I was already watching and reviewing way too many on-going anime to watch another anime, not forgetting that it was a completed anime. For me, if I start watching a completed anime that I end up being very enthusiastic about, I would start an anime marathon for it, like for Death Note. Hence, I was trying not to start a new completed anime. However, after listening to a conversation that took an hour and feeling extremely left out, I decided to watch it. (I didn’t get what they were saying at all, so all I was doing was pretending to be very interested in the characters when they were flipping the magazine. It was funny when I saw the picture of Coach and Momoi since they couldn’t cook.)

Synopsis

The basketball team of Teiko Middle School rose to fame with three consecutive championship wins. The regulars of the team became known as the “Generation of Miracles”. After graduating from middle school, these five stars went to different high schools with top basketball teams. However, there was actually another player in the “Generation of Miracles”: a phantom sixth man. This mysterious player is currently a freshman at Seirin High, a new school with a powerful, if little-known, team. Now, Kuroko Tetsuya, the sixth member of the “Generation of Miracles”, and Kagami Taiga, a naturally talented player who spent most of middle school in the US, are aiming to bring Seirin to the top of Japan, taking on Kuroko’s former teammates one by one.

Why you should watch Kuroko no Basket

Before I watched Kuroko no Basket, I didn’t know that I could be so enthusiastic about sports competitions and matches. I used to find them boring and I didn’t understand how people found them so exciting. They seemed nearly the same to me. But now, I have grown. I now know what a rebound and a three-pointer are (yes I was an idiot in the past when it came to sports). When it comes to sports nowadays, I’m much more interested in playing. I never enjoyed playing sports so much in the past, but now I would do my best to help my team, but not forgetting to have as much fun as I can (lesson learnt from the Iron Heart, Kiyoshi).

One thing I really like about Kuroko no Basket is how only the Generation of Miracles and Kagami have coloured hair. The rest of the characters have either black and brown hair. I think it’s cool how they make the audience focus on the prodigies. Kuroko is difficult to notice, so it’s funny how his teammates don’t notice him being around in the first few episodes. His lack of presence allows him to use Misdirection, a technique that makes people focus solely on the ball and not him. Kise from Kaijou can immediately copy any move he sees. He’s my favourite character due to his cute personality. Midorima is the amazing shooter who scores easily from any distance. He has a tendency of bringing lucky items to his matches. Aomine has unpredictable moves and can shoot from any angle. I used to dislike him but I’m fine with him towards the end of season 2. Murasakibara can be compared to a Titan, having extremely long limbs. He’s good at basketball without even trying. Akashi is the captain of the Generation of Miracles. That already tells how terrifying an opponent he is.

This is not to say that the rest of the characters are much inferior compared to them. Each of the main members of Seirin have their strengths and special traits. Kagami’s skill rivals the Generation of Miracles and he is able to jump very high, thus being Seirin’s Ace. Kiyoshi, a member of the Uncrowned Kings, has the Right of Postponement, an incredible skill. He’s also a carefree person who cheers up his teammates. Hyuuga, the captain, is great at shooting threes. In season 2, where there is a flashback to how the Seirin basketball team was formed, it was funny seeing Hyuuga in the past. Izuki has Eagle Eyes which enable him to see the whole court. He’s also very fond of puns and provides many jokes, though they may be lame.

The intense matches between the Generation of Miracles and the brilliant songs are what I like about Kuroko no Basket. They always make me cheer really loudly for Seirin, and jump with joy every time they win a match. If you love sports, Kuroko no Basket is an anime you shouldn’t miss! There’s definitely a reason for its popularity. Even if you don’t really like sports anime, watching KnB might change your mind. I’ve just finished watching season 2, and I’m really hoping there’ll be a season 3. I really need an intense sports match to hype me up!

In this judgemental society, maintaining an image is crucial. Yet, with a personality of a hidden otaku, maintaining an image is difficult. I am usually described as quiet and reserved… until people get to know me. When they do, well, let’s say they might regret and wish they could turn the clock back, unless they are an otaku just like me. The fact that I’m not an isolated roamer in school makes me grateful that I have friends who accept me even after knowing my weird side.

I’m an insecure person. I think too much about things, whether or not they are important. I care far too much about what others think of me. Hence, I’m cautious of hiding my otaku self from people I just meet. When the doors of my actual personality are opened, there’s no escape. Sometimes I joke about how my friends have no choice but to accept my weird personality because we’re already such good friends.

I can’t watch an anime silently. I have a peculiar habit of pointing out the strangest things in an anime. It may be a romantic scene, but my mind would register something else… Something totally opposite and silly. For instance, when I was watching The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, there was a scene where Makoto and Chiaki were sitting and talking near the riverside. That reminded me of the Literary Girl scenes in Daily Lives of High School Boys. The atmosphere is totally off, but Hidenori often finds himself encountering the Literary Girl when he’s alone near the river. You can probably tell how random I can be now. It would be more sensible to compare the scene to Kimi ni Todoke since Kazehaya and Sawako have walked together in a similar scene. In fact, I did think of that when Chiaki was cycling with Makoto sitting behind him. (Riversides are often portrayed in anime, especially for shoujo anime.) However, the strange comments I make are the ones that make me… one of a kind, I guess.

Well, not quite, but close enough.

Another eccentric characteristic of mine is fangirling over anime characters. I can’t help it. This is the main reason why I cannot watch anime in public. It’s an instant, fatal strike to my social life. (That’s pretty much an exaggeration.) During the rare cases when I do watch anime in public, I do my best to mask my facial expressions, to do my best impersonation of Kuroko’s poker face. This is not always successful, and I have been guilty of laughing out loud in public.

Isshuukan Friends, also known as One Week Friends, tells the story of classmates Fujimiya Kaori and Hase Yuuki. Fujimiya is always alone and gives others an impression that she is cold and hostile. However, this is because she loses her memories every Monday. Despite learning the truth, Hase decides to become her new friend every week.

The reason that got me watching Isshuukan Friends was my friend’s interest in the plot. I had told her about what I read in the first few chapters of the manga and she really liked the plot, so we decided to watch the first episode together in school.

I really like the animation for Isshuukan Friends. It might seem strange, since it’s so simple, without the use of any special effects. Usually, I like bright and sharp animation, with special effects as a bonus. That’s what catches my attention and makes me engrossed in an anime. However, that kind of animation is more suitable for an action anime. Thus, the animation used here suits the plot. Isshuukan Friends isn’t about standing out. It’s about Fujimiya trying to fit in and making friends. Pale colours set a better, warmer atmosphere to make it seem more cordial for her. The character designs and backgrounds are simple, making the audience focus on the plot. I like how the background fades out. It’s a pleasant contrast to the overly bright and distracting backgrounds or Hamatora.

As for the plot, I felt really bad for Hase at the end of episode 1. He knew that Fujimiya would forget him the next week, but knowing doesn’t mean that he would be prepared for Fujimiya’s cold response. It’s painful to be forgotten. Yet, with his strong determination to be Fujimiya’s friend, he musters his courage to request to be her friend again. I hope to see if Fujimiya will get to remember Hase by herself. It’s horrible for him to repeat the whole process every Monday. The only thing I’m worried is if the plot seems to repeat itself very often. Hopefully, each episode will bring something different and enjoyable.

Simple yet pleasant, Isshuukan Friends is a refreshing anime to watch this season.